Drain assembly



April 23, 1968 c. JACUZZI 3,378,858

DRAIN ASSEMBLY F119d June 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l AWWWTMYS JV!) j (Al/A lW, \\l|\\ I I l I 9 k 7/ mg z- INVENTOR CANDIDO JACUZZI BY WARREN BROSLER,CYPHER GANGLIM ATTORNEYS April 23, 1968 c. cum 3,378,858

DRAIN ASSEMBLY Filed June 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR.

CANDIDO JACUZZI BY WARREN, BROSLER, CYPHER GANGLIM ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent 3,378,858 DRAIN ASSEMBLY Candido Jacuzzi, Lafayette,Calif., assignor to Jacuzzi Bros., Incorporated, a corporation ofCalifornia Filed June 17, 1965, Ser. No. 464,692

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-172) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A drain assembly for aswimming pool, having a cover including a ring, a central imperforateportion covering substantially the entire area bounded by said ring, anda plurality of short substantially radial ribs supporting said centralportion slightly above the plane of the ring whereby all flow into suchdrain must be substantially horizontal and radial to preclude vortexing.

My invention relates to swimming pools or the like and more particularlyto a main drain assembly for such pools.

In the construction of swimming pools, a main drain is installed in thefloor or bottom of the pool, which drain has at least one outlet forconnection to the suction side of the pool pump, from which it is pumpedthrough a filter then back to the pool.

Such drain is usually also provided with another opening similar to thedischarge opening to the pump, the second opening being provided for theinstallation of a hydrostatic relief valve which functions to relievethe pressure of ground water when the pool is being drained formaintenance or other reasons.

'Heretofore, it has been the practice to provide the main drain with acover in which slots extend over essentially the full diameter thereofto form a grate. With this type of cover, when the water level reached alow point in the pool during draining, a vortex would form, permittingair to enter the suction line of the pump and cause the pump to loseprime. This could occur when there was still as much as one foot ofwater left in the pool.

Also, during normal use of a swimming pool having such a drain, thevertical downward flow of water developed in the course of normalcirculation for filtering purposes, constituted a hazard to weakswimmers caught in such flow.

To discourage this, a supplemental cover was installed over the grate,such cover involving a solid top with a depending flange having slottedopenings therein causing water to enter parallel to the floor of thepool preliminary to entering the grate, and in this manner eliminatedthe downward flow and prevented vortexing.

Among the objects of my invention are:

1) To provide a novel and improved drain assembly for swimming pools andthe like;

(2) To provide a novel and improved drain assembly of simpleconstruction and capable of performing the combined functions of theconventional grate and antivortex cover described;

(3) To provide a novel and improved drain assembly for swimming pools orthe like, which lends itself to fabrication from materials such asplastic.

Additional objects of my invention will 'be brought out in the followingdescription of the preferred embodiment of the same, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of the drain assembly of the presentinvention in its prefered form; and

FIGURE 2 is a view in section depicting the drain assembly of FIGURE 1,as installed in the bottom a swimming pool or the like.

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Referring to the drawings for a description of my invention in itspreferred form, the same involves a substantially cylindrical drain body1, having a side anchor flange 3, and a bottom 5, from which depends atubular projection 7 for flow coupling the drain body to the suctionline of a pump (not shown), and a similar tubular projection 9 forinstallation of a hydrostatic relief valve (not shown).

Adjustably receivable into the cylindrical drain body is a grouting ring11 of a diameter approaching that of the drain body and formed with aperipheral flange 13 adapted to overhang the upper edge of the drainbody.

The drain body and grouting ring are installed in the pool bottom 15,the side flange 3 of the drain body, providing means for anchoring thesame in the concrete of the pool bottom, while the grouting ring isadjusted to bring its flange 13 substantially into the plane of thebottom, thus enabling one to adjust for variations in thickness to theside flange 3 of the drain body.

The grouting ring is adapted to slidably receive a cover 19, the coverincluding a base ring 21 having an upper ring surface 23, and a domeshaped center portion 27 supported above the plane of the upper ringsurface by a plurality of radially oriented ribs 29 anchored to the ringsurface and defining with such surface and said dome shaped centralportion, a plurality of substantially horizontal flow passageways 31into the drain assembly. Such flow passageways perform both the functionof the grate and the function of the antivortex cover of theconventional drain assembly described above as representative of theprior art.

At spaced locations about the lower edge of the grouting ring, thegrouting ring is formed with inwardly directed lips 33 to be engaged bythe lower edge of the cover and thus determines the proper assembledposition of the cover in the grouting ring.

The drain assembly as thus described, lends itself to being molded ofplastic, the use of which material further lends itself to the moldingof the cover with slits 35 in the base ring thereof, to impartresiliency and flexibility to such base ring, and if slightly flared,the cover may be dimensioned to snugly fit into the grouting ring whilestill being removable, if desired. Preferably, however, I prefer asomewhat loose fit of the base ring, and provide thin friction ribs 37located diametrically on the outer surface of the base ring tofrictionally retain the cover in its installed position in the groutingring.

From the foregoing description of my invention in its preferred form, itwill be apparent that the same satisfies all the objects attributedthereto, and while I have illustrated and described the same inconsiderable detail, it will be apparent that the preferred form issubject to alteration and modification without departing from theunderlying principles involved, and I accordingly, do not desire to belimited in my protection to the specific details illustrated anddescribed, except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A drain assembly cover for a pool drain assembly and adapted topreclude vortexing as the water level approaches pool bottom duringdraining, comprising a base ring having an upper ring surface, a centralcircular imperforate portion covering substantially the entire areabounded by said ring, and a plurality of short radial ribs located aboutsaid upper surface and supporting said central imperforate portionslightly above the plane of said upper ring surface to provide aplurality of horizontal flow passages whereby all flow into such drainmust be substantially horizontal.

2. A drain assembly for a swimming pool or the like a grouting ring of adiameter approaching that of said comprising drain body and adjustablyreceivable therein, said a substantially cylindrical drain body havingside grouting i h i a i h l flange i li i h anchor means a a bottom,Said bottom including the upper edge of said drain body to limit theexmeans for flow coupling said drain body to the suC- 5 tent ofreception of said ring in said drain body, non hne a P and means formstauatlon of and a cover slidably receivable in said grouting ring, ahydmstatlc rehef valve said cover including a. base collar having anupper a grouting ring of a diameter approaching that of said drain bodyand adjustably receivable therein, said grouting ring having aperipheral flange in line with the upper edge of said drain body tolimit the extent of reception of said ring in said drain body,

ring surface, and a dome shaped center portion supported above the planeof said upper ring surface by a plurality of ribs anchored to said ringsurface and defining with said surface and said dome shaped n a coverslidably receivable in Said grouting ring, central portion, a pluralityof substantially horizonsaid cover including a base collar having anupper tal flow paths into Said drain assembly, Wherebyw ring surface,and a center portion supported above function both as a grate, and topreclude VOTWXing the plane of said upper ring surface by a plurality asthe water level approaches pool bottom during of ribs anchored to saidring surface and defining draining. with said surface and said centralportion, a plurality References Cited of substantially horizontal flowpaths into said drain UNITED STATES PATENTS body, whereby to functionboth as a grate, and to preclude vortexing as the water level approaches1,434,254 10/1922 Sanders 210163 pool bottom during draining. ,963, 001934 ing 210163 3. A drain assembly for a swimming pool or the lik3,246,582 4/1966 Wade et a1 4l46 comprising a substantially cylindricaldrain body having a side FOREIGN PATENTS anchor flange and a bottom,said bottom having a 681,958 1964 a tubular projection therefrom forflow coupling said drain body to the suction line of a pump, and an-LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

other tubular ro'ect' f t 1 static relief li Ion or ms a1 anon of ahydro HENRY ARTIS, Assistant Examiner.

